


Better Than The Imagined

by MarilynnRae



Category: Major Crimes (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Trauma, F/M, Family, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 02:48:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7917466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarilynnRae/pseuds/MarilynnRae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sharon didn't expect her life to be this way. Forty-two, two teenagers living in her house full time, twin five year olds, a step-daughter that came and went as she pleased. This was not how she imagined her life, but she's okay with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

This was not how she imagined her life. 

When she was younger, this was not how she thought her life would be. She imagined a husband, a couple of kids, a picket fence, a career and maybe even a dog. To be honest, really she wasn’t far off, but the life she imagined was simpler, more casual and definitely not the exhausted never ending merry-go-round she felt that she had accidentally stumbled upon. 

Fourty-two, two teenagers living fulltime in her home along with twins who needed “one more story” every night in order to fall asleep, and a husband she usually got along with. Her chestnut hair had a few greys if anyone looked too close, definitely more than her mother had at this age and maybe even more than her mother currently had, and her job may seem nine to five, but it rarely was that way. 

This was not what she imagined. Twin toddlers popping into her life at when she was signing her oldest up for SAT classes was not what she thought was going to happen between making sure her son made it to baseball practice in time. 

Now, she wouldn’t change a thing. Too many kids running through her home, the sounds of bickering teenagers and giggling five year olds were sounds she thrived on, but it wasn’t what she imagined at her age. Not at forty-two. 

“What time did you tell Nicole to be home?” Sharon asked Andy as she poured herself a glass of tea.

Their lives had been a collaborative mess since she and Andy had married, or really since she adopted the twins a year before that, but they handled it. Nicole had fairly free rein of when she was coming of going in their house. She typically let Andy know and they decided on a curfew for the eighteen year old senior. Andy’s son, however, was away at school and really made no effort to be a part of the dysfunctional family. 

Though Andy would never outwardly say it, it broke his heart that his son wouldn’t forgive him for the mistakes had had made while drinking so he stayed loyal to his mother. But he loved that Sharon adored Nicole and took her in as her own. Emily loved having a big sister and even Ricky enjoyed having someone else to argue with occasionally. 

“The usual; eleven,” he told her as he leaned in to have a whiff of whatever she was drinking. He couldn’t get himself to actually enjoy tea, but he did enjoy the smell of it. It meant that the day was almost over and soon they would be able to crawl into bed. 

She gave him a look as she followed him to the couch. It was already nearly ten and everyone else was in bed. The twins had been in bed since eight and Ricky and Emily had to at least be in the bedrooms by nine-thirty on weeknights. Nicole had a little freer reign since she was eighteen and went between her parents’ houses regularly. Sharon didn’t like the late curfew, but she also understood that he was still trying to get in her good graces. 

“I really think we should bump that down to ten,” Sharon told him, as she leaned against his chest. Her hair was pulled back from her face, but other than that flowing down her back. She was comfortable when they sat like that. His arm around her so snuggly she almost always fell sleep before her tea was empty. “I’ll be the bad guy if you want, but I can’t stand having her out this late on school nights, not knowing where she is.”

She wasn’t Nicole’s mother, but she couldn’t help but have a maternal connection with the girl. The friends who had step-children and children of their own didn’t always say much about them, but Nicole was just as much of her kid as the other four. The only difference was she didn’t live there all the time. 

There was a quirk in Andy’s brow as she felt his chest bounce lightly with is chuckle. “I think she’s eighteen in the last month of her senior year. Eleven o’clock is fine.”

Emily always had a fit that Nicole’s curfew was so much later than hers no matter how many times it was stated that Nicole was also older. It wasn’t really a fight worth having, at least not until Emily was eighteen too. 

Nights like these where she was laying with her husband on their couch which their children upstairs. Perhaps the most surprising part was that it was Andy, a man that she tended to have a love hate relationship with for over a decade to surprise her so much in stealing her heart. He always told her that he fell in love with her, but everyday he’s sure he will wake up and find it all a dream. 

If it wasn’t for the twins, she would have never gotten divorced. When she told Jack she wanted to adopt the toddlers (after months of trying to track him down) he all but laughed in her face. The next day Sharon had divorce papers sent to him, assuring him that it would be in his best interest to proceed quickly or else the next thing filed would be child abandonment papers. 

She had been seeing Andy for about six months up until that point. The man who had been drinking buddies with her husband had become one of her best friends after he came to her house one night, sober, but not in a good place. She had always had a soft spot for him even when she knew him to be an insensitive ass. That night she sat with him on the couch, her family sleeping up the stairs, as they discussed life. 

They became friends, and then somehow they became more than that, and then he became her husband with the blessing of her family. Ricky had gotten used to Andy in his life now that it was going on three years. In the three years Andy had been involved with their family Andy had easily become more of a father than either of her children had ever known. Then his obvious love for the twins, hauling them around with piggyback rides and the way he glowed when Rusty called him Daddy for the first time. 

Now here they were, comfortable in their married lives and living happily and easily. Well, not exactly easily, but it was definitely filled with love. 

“I love you,” Sharon stated suddenly, so lost in her thoughts that she barely noticed Andy had since turned on the evening news. He looked at her in surprise but with a smile as well.

“That’s an interesting thing to say after the weather,” he teased her making her laugh and curl deeper into him. 

“I was just thinking about how I could never change this. That this wasn’t what I ever thought would happen but I wouldn’t change it. Not Rusty and Riley. Not Emily or Ricky or Nicole. Not you.” She sighed a little and found his hand. She traced it with her fingers up and down each of his long digits and over the calluses on his hands. 

These were the hands that tucked their children into bed at night and played baseball with Ricky. The ones that applaud proudly for Emily at ever dance recital and combed through Nicole’s hair after a breakup. She loved his hands. They were just one of the many things that reminded her of how much he loved them all. 

“Well, beautiful,” Andy began, his free hand gently moving to her face to push the stray hair out of the way of her eyes. His fingers gently caressed her cheek as she let herself fall into the feeling of his touch. “I wouldn’t change a thing either. Not a moment since I’ve been with you.”

Gently he pressed his lips to hers and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling into the kiss. 

No, this was not how she imagined her life. 

She could never imagine her life being this perfect.


	2. Chapter Two

Riley was always the early riser in the house. First one up, the first one in bed. However, that also meant her mother was the first up but the last to bed. After three years of living with Sharon and Andy, Riley was still very quiet. Her therapist said she probably didn’t exactly remember what happened to her in the first two years of her life, but she had fears of things she would not understand. One of Riley’s fears was speaking unnecessarily. 

As usual, Sharon woke up to Riley crawling up on her side of the bed, settling against her and playing with her chestnut hair until Sharon dared to open her eyes. There she was, a head of blonde curls and eyes bluer than the ocean just like her brothers. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Sharon greeted, her voice heavy with sleep as she wrapped her arm around Riley and nuzzled her nose into her curls. It was something she did with all of her kids. All of her kids had a specific smell that was unique to them. Sharon could remember memorizing Emily and Ricky’s the first night they were born. 

It took longer for her to be able to it pinpoint the twins’ specific scent. It was nearly six months after they came that the twins had fallen asleep on her, and definitely not on purpose. Riley had always been someone who desired affection but was scared to try. Rusty was a little more daring. He learned quickly that Sharon was not someone he needed to fear. Instead he chose to butt heads with her and everyone else. But that night she was able to hold them both to her chest, bury her nose in their hair and learn that Riley smelled a bit like lavender and blueberries while her brother had a earthier smell. 

Now things were mostly normal. Rusty was a typical five year old with a very protective nature over his twin sister (which he assured everyone was his little sister). It was mostly his sister that still struggled to adapt. 

“Okay, okay, I’m getting up,” Sharon sighed, purposely giving her husband a nudge as she tapped Riley on the bottom to get her out of bed. 

She walked hand in hand with her daughter to the kitchen. Before Riley and Rusty moved in, mornings were typically a rush. Ricky and Emily scrambling to grab whatever food they could in a couple of minutes before running out the door with it half eaten and in their mouths. Sharon wasn’t much better, barely making it out the door to get her children to school on time with a thermos of coffee in her hands. 

Now a full breakfast was always on the table, coffee in the pot, and everyone was able to take time as they made their way out the door. All thanks to the fact Riley was as much of a morning person as her brother was not. Rusty had to be dragged out of bed. Luckily Andy had the privilege of doing that since she rolled out of bed before dawn with Riley. 

“What do you think, kiddo?” Sharon asked as she and Riley looked in the fridge. “Pancakes?” The little girl shook her head and pointed at the carton of eggs instead. Sharon hummed and nodded as she pulled the carton out and felt Riley follow her around the kitchen. 

As usual, Sharon casually instructed Riley on what to do and was always happy to receive her help. With two teenagers she knew that this time where every free moment was wanted to be spent with her mother would end and Riley would become a regular kid eventually. Until then, Sharon would cherish her moments with her quiet little one. 

The sound of yawning and feet patting down the stairs had a small smile. Emily was awake. 

“Morning,” Sharon mused softly as Emily groaned in response. 

Riley quickly went to make her sister the glass of water she always wanted first thing in the morning. There was a rare smile from Emily that she graced her little sister with as she moved back toward the steps. She would reappear again after her shower and until then Riley would help her mama cook. 

Sharon had just poured the eats that were beaten into the skillet when she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her daughter’s voice. “Can I have juice, Mama?” 

She tried not to startle at her daughter’s request, but she was so used to her daughter’s silence that hearing her voice this early in the morning surprised her. Quickly she forced a smile and nodded enthusiastically at her daughter. “Of course. Orange juice or apple?” 

There was a slight hesitance as Sharon hoped that Riley would speak again, but instead Riley moved to the refrigerator and pointed at apple. She tried to not feel disappointed, but it stung a bit. At least Riley called her mama. It felt so rare that even that happened. 

Instead, she smiled at her daughter and easily poured her a small glass. 

“Good morning,” Andy gruffed a few moments later. He pressed a kiss to the back of Sharon’s head before he rubbed his morning scruff against Riley’s cheek making her giggle. He then lifted her into his arms and squinted his eyes at her playfully. “Is it me, Mama, or has Riley gotten prettier since we put her to bed last night?” 

Sharon smirked as she too pretended to study the little girl’s face as her cheeks blushed prettily. “Oh, I think she gets prettier every day.”

Andy nodded in agreement. “Yep, just like her mama and sisters.” His head turned toward Sharon again before he pressed a quick kiss to her lips before turning to look at Riley again. “Wanna come upstairs and wake up brother with me?” 

Immediately she shook her head and Sharon laughed. “She knows how Rusty is in the morning. She’d much rather help me make breakfast.”

Andy sighed and set Riley down on the counter before heading back up the steps. Riley grinned up at her mother as Sharon started the scrambled eggs and bacon. Of course Riley would ask for cheese to go over her entire plate, Ricky would eat at least four eggs and nearly half a pound of bacon, Emily would only poke at her food, and Rusty would eat his plate and whatever Riley left on her plate. Nicole usually assured them she wasn’t a breakfast kind of person and went back and forth with Sharon until she at least had a piece of toast. 

Their morning routine was pretty well down to an art now. 

“Good morning, Sharon,” Nicole yawned as Sharon set the bowl of eggs in the middle of the breakfast table. Her hair was still damp from her shower and fell in waves down her back. As Riley stood up in her chair to serve herself some eggs onto her plate. 

Sharon allowed her to do her best even though it always ended up with a bit of a mess. Riley liked to have independence and since she always helped clean up after breakfast too it was never a problem. 

At the sight of her littlest sister, Nicole’s lips quirked into a smile that was a perfect match to her father’s. 

“Hey firefly.”

At the sound of her nickname Riley’s head popped up in Nicole’s direction and beamed happily. Andy had nicknames for all the kids and even Sharon herself, but Riley’s was the only one the entire family used as a term of endearment. Even now she could remember Andy sitting in their backyard as they barbequed. One minute Rusty and Riley were running around playing tag when Rusty tripped over something in the yard and fell down on top of his sister. Her head bounced off the concrete around the pool before her hands could even catch her fall. 

There was a long silence as Andy and Sharon both jumped to their feet and Ricky and Emily went running to their little siblings. It was Ricky’s panicked call for her mother at the sight of blood that sent Riley into a screaming and crying frenzy that trigger Rusty to follow. They were three years old and typically nearly silent. Immediately both kids were scooped up by their parents and rushed inside. 

Both of Rusty’s knees were scraped up while Riley’s head bled clear down her face. Sharon peppered Rusty’s face with kisses while she calmed him, both kids sitting on the bathroom counter. Sharon had final calmed Rusty and bandaged his knees before cuddling him to her and rocking him back and forth. The main reason for his tears were his sister’s tears. That was until Andy cupped Riley’s face in his hands and spoke softly to her until a little smile came upon her lips. 

“That’s my little firefly,” he said to her, his own smile pulling at his lips. “That smile can light up the darkest night. Daddy’s firefly.”

Since, the name had stuck. Riley was everyone’s firefly.

Nicole frown when Riley didn’t so much as say a word and turned toward her step-mother who shrugged lightly. “We’re having a quiet day today, aren’t we, baby?” Sharon told Nicole as her hand ran down Riley’s curly blonde mane. Somedays Riley was more verbal than others. This was going to be a quiet day where most likely the only person Riley would talk to would be Sharon and maybe Andy.

For a moment Nicole was quiet before she took a seat next to her sister and nudged her with her shoulder. “We’re all allowed quiet days,” she assured Riley.

Within the next ten minutes the rest of the family had appeared in the kitchen and the three teenagers were moving out the door almost an hour later. Nicole had been kind enough to agree to take Ricky and Emily to school while Sharon and Riley got ready. 

Riley and Rusty went to the Catholic elementary school about a block away from the LAPD. It was easy enough for one of them to pick them up and they were very good at quietly working or playing in Sharon’s office for the last hour she worked. 

“How long are you ladies going to be?” Andy called up the steps while Rusty tugged on the straps of his backpack. “Girls take forever,” Andy muttered to him as the little boy nodded in exasperated agreement. 

“’Specially Mama,” Rusty sighed making his daddy laugh. 

Sharon appeared at the top of the steps with Riley behind her. As usual, Sharon looked completely perfect. Not a single hair out of place with perfectly mascaraed eyelashes that’s length only rivaled her forever long legs. Riley held her hand, her blond curls pulled out of her face with a hint of a lipstick mark from her mother’s affection on her cheek. 

“Finally,” Rusty groaned nudging his sister and handing her the pink and black backpack. Sharon quickly ducked down and pressed a kiss to his cheek ensuring that the twins had matching lipstick marks from their mother. 

“Mama!” the boy whined as he tried to halfheartedly wipe it away but also smiled a bit at her. 

Riley tugged on her blazer and nodded toward Andy making Sharon smile. “Oh, you think Daddy needs one too?” Both children nodded before she quickly moved around to press a kiss to her husband’s cheek. The mock disgusted look on Andy’s face had Rusty and Riley holding their guts in laughter. 

“Alright, Flynn kids, let’s go,” Andy mused swinging his hands toward the door. Riley held onto his hand while Rusty and Sharon led the way through the door. It was Andy’s turn to drop the children off since Sharon had an early meeting. 

She stopped by the driver’s side of Andy’s car and smiled up at him. Her hands made work of straightening his tie as she rolled up on her toes to press her lips to his. “See you at lunch?” Andy nodded as she looked into the back seat of the car where Riley and Rusty had already buckled themselves in. “Be good babies. Don’t give Daddy trouble in the drop off line.”

Both the children agreed and Sharon moved to her own vehicle, watching as her husband and youngest pulled out of the driveway. 

It all felt like some sort of fairytale so often that she couldn’t help herself but marvel in it. As much as she loved her job, she couldn’t wait to get home and back to her kids. She didn’t want to be a stay at home mom, but she loved the balance she was able to produce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review!

**Author's Note:**

> Please review!


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